A HAND OF FELLOWSHIP TO HELPE KEEPE OVT SINNE AND ANTICHRIST In certaine Sermons preached vpon seuerall occasions By ROBERT ABBOT Preacher of Gods Word at Cranebrooke in KENT LONDON Printed by John Haviland for Nathaniel Butter 1623. DAVIDS DESIRES THE ASSIZE AT HOME VPON PSALME 27.4 By ROBERT ABBOT LONDON Printed by John Haviland for Nathaniel Butter 1623. ¶ The principall Contents of the Booke following are 1 DAVIDS Desires from PSALME 27.4 wherein we are perswaded to desire the ordinary means of saluation and to be true members of the true Church wherein we may vse them 2 The Assize at Home from IAMES the 2.4 wherein all are perswaded to hearken to the voice of Conscience that all things may go well both in the Church and Common-wealth 3 The hid man of the heart from the 2 COR. 4.17 wherein we are directed in the triall of our spirituall estates that so we finding our death to sinne and life in grace may assure our hearts that we haue right in Christ 4 A preuenter of Securitie from 1 PETER 4.7 wherein we are perswaded to watch both against Popish doctrine and wicked liuing in these last and perillous times 5 The new mans new life from GAL. 2.20 wherein both our cursed death in sinne is discouered that we may be wounded for it and our life in grace is opened that we may reioyce in it and seeke to nourish it 6 The triall of True Religion from IAMES 1.27 wherein we are perswaded to be of a Religion and are taught by easie triall to see the truth of our Religion and the falshood of the Romish Apostasie TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR THOMAS ROBERDS Knight and Baronet and to the Lady FRANCES his faithfull yoke-fellow Grace mercy and peace from God our Father and our Lord Iesus Christ by the Holy Ghost RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL IF I may be bold to looke so high I dare looke no higher than your selues in this my dedication Were I able to bring forth a birth worthy of a higher countenance to whom should I offer it but vnto my Lords Grace of Canterbury from whom I haue receiued all my worldly maintenance vnder whom I doe enioy all my best earthly countenance and at whose lips I haue receiued such most fatherly incouragements both to take heed to reading and to doctrine and also to pray to God morning and euening that God may be my God when I least dreame of him as I hope I shall neuer be backward to acknowledge alwaies ready to make vse of to the improuement of those spirituall graces wherewith through Gods gracious gift I came into this Country But I neuer yet could so ouerweene my owne abilities as to thinke their fruit worthie of such a patronage If I seeme not too presumptuous in what I doe I hope I neuer shall in what I might doe It is my ioy and my reioycing that within mine owne circle God hath raised me vp such friends as will not easily take in ill part my louing rudenesse towards them Some few yeeres experience makes this good of your worthy selues who haue so faithfully shewed your selues friends so cheerefully auditors and so patiently giuen me leaue both publikely and priuately to stirre vp your willing minds that I cannot entertaine the least doubt of your kinde embracings of this poore acknowledgment of my thankfulnesse vnto you I remember what Socrates did reply to Aeschines his scholler when being poore he tooke it to heart that he was not able to gratifie him his Master as others did Annon intelligis quà m magnum munus mihi dedisti nisi fortè teipsum parvi aestimas Doest thou not know saith Socrates how great a gift thou hast giuen me belike thou accountest thy selfe little worth Implying that he accounted his gift though poore more precious than theirs who were rich because they had giuen him of theirs he had giuen him himselfe Right thus doe I iudge the case to be betweene your Worships and my selfe It may trouble me that I haue no better to giue but I know it contents you that I giue my selfe to wit my presence to your persons my prayers for your estates and my vttermost abilities in the execution of my weake ministerie for the eternall good of your with all my deare peoples soules A taste of this I offer vnto you in these two Sermons which were first made publike at two Assizes by the ioynt request of you both next are made publike in Print by mine owne offer desire of the good of Gods Church God giue them acceptance in the eies of his people I doe not looke that they should finde a like entertainment amongst all My aime is to warme the hearts of my deare Countrymen whereto if the force of my poore sparke will not extend my neerer aim◠is to doe good vnto my flocke which yet if I cannot reach my neerest aime is to shew my selfe thankfull vnto you both and aboue all to set forth the honour of God in awaking conscience and wooing and winning desires to this his true Church Busie are the aduersaries of our common mother the Church of England to gaine appetites and affections to Rome Many words are thought too few much eloquence too little and the rowling of all stones not enough to this end If therefore Croesus his dumbe sonne could speake when he saw one offering violence to his father Homo ne intersicias Croesum saying O man kill not Croesus then no maruell if we that are speaking sonnes of our deare Mother doe plead her cause and redeeme her credit from the slander of strangers yea of her vnnaturall children It was a militarie law of old that the souldiers who had not killed an enemie should not be girded with a girdle but with an halter and surely me thinks the law were good to be executed vpon them who haue not maintained the Church their mother as they are able To auoid this censure I haue done my best as I could in a word and if I meet with a heauier censure for doing what I haue than if I had done nothing my comfort is that I haue vsed my talent with an honest heart and therefore am not altogether out of hope that I may be a little blast in Gods mouth a little to consume the Man of Sinne in them that cannot search either more large or learned bookes There is but one thing aboue the rest which breedeth preiudice in mens minds and keeps them from making vse of our writings and that is this A politike perswasion by cunning leaders that we preach a new doctrine and walke not in the traces of our forefathers But if either of these could be iustly fastned vpon vs we should hate our selues our doctrine our course As for our doctrine we heartily confesse that it is impossible that sauing truth should be kept vp in a corner and not disclosed till latter dayes It neither stands with Gods loue who willeth that all men should be saued and come to the
passe to the matter propounded pawse wee a while vpon the two phrases in the Text. First Doe yee not or haue yee not iudged in your selues say some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe or haue yee not discerned or put a difference in or with your selues say others Let euery man abound in his owne sense where faith is not impeached or destroyed and the Scripture wilfully wronged and neglected The Word is knowne to be passiue and is deriued of a word that signifieth to iudge And whereas iudging doth imply foure acts in it that is hearing inquiring conuicting the wrong doer and passing sentence some doe vnderstand it of the act of all foure when they expresse it thus Are yee not iudged in your selues Others vnderstand it of the sinne against all foure or at the least against the last vpon the abuse of the three former when they expresse it thus Are yee not partiall in your selues Others vnderstand it of the act of conuicting which I am the more willing to follow because of that apt addition In your selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Implying that though they would not passe righteous iudgement yet by diligent inquisition and knowledge of the cause they were conuicted in the Court within As for the second Phrase how shall I expresse it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall I say Iudges of vniust cogitations as if I meant to vaile and obscure it Or Iudges of euill thoughts in more plaine and popular termes Or â—udges wickedly deliberating It may be the words may more fully be expressed That which is translated Thoughts doth signifie a secret reasoning about or discussing of a thing within a mans selfe as with another whereby he doth argue the case and debate the matter both by asking and answering and so resoluing within a mans selfe And therefore as sometimes it is translated thoughts as when Christ saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 15.19 Out of the heart come euill thoughts so as aptly is both the word from whence it commeth rendered to reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 5.22 Matth. 16 8. and the word it selfe reasonings as when the Scribes and Pharisees thus argued Christ forgiueth sinnes therefore he blasphemeth Iesus perceiued their reasonings and said What reason you in your hearts Now these reasonings debatings dialogues and discourses are called Thoughts which are the meanings of the minde to and fro about those things which it apprehendeth and are of two sorts For either they are about the nature essence excellencie and vses of things in generall which may be called Theoreticall thoughts or about the same things as they are to be apprehended approued disallowed practised or disauowed of vs in particular which may be called practicall thoughts because by them the soule viewing and staying vpon it selfe and comparing it selfe with the first patterne doth shape a course for the owner to walke in so farre as it apprehendeth and doth comfort and confound accordingly So that indeed these thoughts are only the worke of the conscience vpon the ill cariage whereof in corrupt reasonings the same conscience doth play the corrupt Iudge in withholding the truth in vnrighteousnes as we may see in this particular For the question lying whether a rich man were to haue respect meerely for his riches sake before a godly poore man and their thoughts beating vpon it and chewing it vp and downe by varietie of motion because they saw more outward glory comming by the one than the other and moâ—â— danger preuented they did imprison the â—ruth and 〈◊〉 â—orrupt Iudges concluded gaue sentence against â—he poore Saints and so they became Iudges of euill reasonings Now you see in this Verse the ground of my parable where I would consider two things First the power of practicall conscience Secondly the abuse of that power For as it is with most power it is abused vnto sin namely to serue mens owne turnes and the like so the power of our consciences which is to reason it out and conclude accordingly is abused to iudge wickedly euen against conuiction To speake first of the power of our consciences you must know as I haue said that to dialogue in our selues is to aske and answer in our selues The power of our Consciences and to giue iudgement according to reason And to Reason is vpon two premises to inferre a conclusion and this is a iudiciall proceeding The Proposition like the Iudge doth open the truth and like a witnesse doth beare witnesse vnto it The Assumption like the Iurie doth apply it to the parties to be tried The Conclusion like the Iudge doth giue and passe the sentence This is the summe of what I haue to say from hence For the more cleare deliuerie whereof that we may as fully as we can comprehend the vertue of these reasoning thoughts lay we downe first these two propositions in generall and so we shall fall to the particulars The first generall proposition is this that God hath established an assize for iudgement within our selues Hence is it that we are said to be Iudges To conceiue therefore aright of it consider that there is the Iudgement seat or Court Hall within a mans selfe An Assize within vs. the partie to be tried man himselfe the Iudge witnesse Iurie the conscience which shall proceed according to true allegations and proofes and all these sweetly inwrapped in these reasoning thoughts Yea and that all things may be carried the more fairely there is the law imposed vpon the reasonable creature as apprehended by him to be the rule and records The causes and grounds of this Assize are these two First in respect of God that God may haue an account of the state of man from himselfe and man may be brought to liue in holinesse and righteousnesse vnder God For looke as a King of a country doth ordaine Assizes to be kept in his seuerall Shires and Counties that hee may haue an account of the iustice of his Magistrates estate of his country liues of his subiects and that he may preserue them in peace and loue in their seuerall places so God hath appointed this petty Assize that he may haue an account of the conscience how the minde doth rule and gouerne how the whole man is gouerned in righteousnesse holinesse and sobriety how the state of the body and soule stands before God in the case of life and death and that the desires and affections may be kept from mutinie and rebellion and the whole man may be brought vnder the subiection of Gods will Vel medio huminis naturalis vel medio luminis fidei Our vnderstandings either by the light of reason or by the light of faith should haue the law of God presented vnto them whereby they should suruey both morall duties and the mysticall points of Diuinitie our inuentions should finde out variety of dutie for vs our memories should keepe the records our wils should chuse and command all good actions our
a by word among the multitude But blessed conscience incourage thy friends and discourage them that flout at thee with that true but fearefull saying Esa 66.5 Heare the Word of the Lord all ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you and cast you out for my Names sake said Let the Lord be glorified but hee shall appeare to your ioy and they shall be ashamed Lastly we must doe our dutie to conscience by paying tribute to it and yeelding to it honourable meanes of maintenance Giue tribute to whom tribute belongeth shall wee haue a gouernour and will wee starue him for want of maintenance God forbid Decke therefore the table of thy conscience richly with the Word of God let thy conscience vse it as in the sight and presence of God attend with all the parts and powers of thy bodie and soule in state vpon this honourable gouernour and if thou canst not giue it entertainment answerable to its place weepe to God for more grace that as one said to Saint Augustines weeping mother Non potest perire tantarum lachrymarum filius A sonne for whom so many teares are shed cannot perish So thy conscience for which thou doest weepe to God may not be corrupted or want necessary meanes of maintenance Secondly Conscience as a Iudge must doe its office to and for vs both in our selues and to God for looke as a Iudge doth a double dutie a dutie of iustice in the country and a dutie of account in the Court so likewise hath the conscience a double dutie to performe In the Court within we must expect a fourefold action of a Iudge frō it The first is Remurmuration As a Iudge doth or should fret and grudge at euery euill cause that comes before him and cannot abide that any Gallio should either plead the excuse or defence of it so conscience must worke an inward repining when any of the aduocates of sinne doth blanch the least wickednesse The least sinne is hellish in its sight the greatest is ten times damnable The second is Instigation Looke as a Iudge doth or should prouoke to euery good occasion for the repressing of vice and encouragement of vertue so conscience must goad vs vp and stirre vs forward to take euery good opportunitie to doe good vnto our bodies and soules to the honour of God The Iewes who were as the swift Dromodaries were not more eager to commit wickednesse than conscience must be to doe that which is good in Gods sight The third is Condemnation Euen as a Iudge doth condemne the guilty and pronounce definitiue sentence against him whatsoeuer he be whether friend or foe rich or poore because he heareth causes speake and not persons so dealeth conscience yea euen against the owner of it if he doe offend Therefore the Apostle speaketh of those who are selfe-condemned Or looke as if a souldier demeane himselfe not well in battell the Iudge Martiall may cause his Escocheon to be pierced Euen so conscience must pierce the heart of the offender by a full pronouncing of the iudgements of its God The fourth is Absolution As a Iudge doth absolue the guiltlesse and when his innocencie doth once appeare doth make no delayes or demurres or the like to keepe him from the comfort of his cause so when conscience findeth innocencie it crieth out Well done good and faithfull seruant enter into thy Masters ioy Know thine office conscience And as thou wilt answer it to him from whom thou hast thy most immediate deputation see thou deale righteous-Iudge-like in all these particulars Secondly there is a dutie of account that the conscience oweth vnto God also Euen as a Iudge doth giue an account vnto his Soueraigne of the state of his countrey liues of his people and iustice of his inferiour Magistrates and the like so must our consciences giue an account to God what state our soules are in and how our wills and affections doe rule and obey within vs. See therefore O conscience that thou doe it faithfully Goe to the Court of heauen after euery daies Assize tell God how it stands with thee in the case of life and death Helpe O King I haue found rebellion in thy kingdome without thy pardon all will perish with thy pardon without thy wisdome to plant religion to order thy subiects and to preuent future mutinies all will come to naught Thus deale faithfully with thy soule And as good Iudges will not trust particular Iustices with the gouernment of the Countrey lest they should make their owne gaines and aime at their owne priuate ends more than at the publike good but will diligently search into their proceedings that so their account may be the more current so the good conscience will not commit the gouernment of the soule to the will and affections but will euery day search into their courses that so they may giue the more through and honest account vnto our God and King Thus hauing viewed the power of practicall conscience in these reasoning thoughts which are in vs 2 The abuse of the power of Conscience we come to the abuse of this power in iudging euilly and partially euen against conuiction Whence we may note That it is no newes that there is disorder and corruption in the iudgements of our owne hearts and consciences Yee know that Paul found out this wickednesse of old To withhold the truth in vnrighteousnesse Rom. 1.18 euen so is it still The prisoner to be tried within vs is Truth the case to be tried is whether Truth should be set at libertie to be a guide to our actions yea or no Truth pleades for her selfe as the cause of poore Christians in this place but the Iurie of will and affections heareth not they are corrupted with carnall wisdome pleasure profit or the like and therefore in commeth the fore-man Will and saith I will doe as I haue done and I will be perswaded as I haue beene perswaded and so Reason like a corrupt Iudge giueth the sentence that Truth must into prison and rebellion and wickednesse flourish If now you will aske me what are the reasons of this corruption in our inward iudgings I answer that I shall giue you foure reasons of it First the want of the loue of God If we loued God we would loue his honour if wee loued his honour wee would carrie an equall and vpright course in passing sentence yea though it were to the crushing of that which is most deare vnto vs. Deut. 33.9 Thus Leui is said to say to his father and mother I haue not seene thee neither knew he his owne brethren nor his children when hee was to execute the iudgements of God Secondly want of vnion in our selues An armie put to rowt cannot keepe order so neither can a man that is diuided in himselfe As it is in the cursed Alehouse businesse it thriues the better for a proud separation that is found amongst those that should helpe
that we may be afraid to abuse our consciences for this we may be assured of that though our consciences be calmed for a time yet as Nycippus his sheepe brought forth a Lion which portended to tyrannie so our consciences which seeme to be as quiet as lambes will at the last bring forth roaring as a presagement of our eternall thraldome Soli Deo gloria THE HID MAN OF THE HEART VPON 2 CORINTH 5.17 By ROBERT ABBOT LONDON Printed by John Haviland for Nathaniel Butter 1623. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL SIR HENRY BAKER Knight and Baronet and to the Lady KATHERINE his religious and louing Wife Grace in this world and glory in the world to come through CHRIST our LORD RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL The rule is not more old than good Ingenuum est fatâ—râ— per quem profâ—â—cris That it is an ingenuous thing to confesse by whom we reape profit Hauing therefore by good proofe found your hands not to be sealed vp to me though I beg no new fauours because through Gods mercy I haue learned to want and to abound and in all estates to be content yet I humbly beseech you to giue me leaue freely to acknowledge your loue vnto me It was not wiâ—hout your charge that I came first to settle in this Couâ—â—ry neither haue I here continued without the inlargement of my Librarie by your Bookes bestowed vpon me What therefore can I render vnto you besides my publike Ministerie but some such poore acknowledgment as this is A plaine Sermon I confesse it is yet such an interpreter of my heart that I hope you shall plainly see my honest desires to lay before you a picture of your together with the rest of Gods peoples gratious estates It was a vse in rich mens feasts Herodot lib. 3. amongst the Aegyptians of old to appoint one who should shew a wodden carkasse of a man liuelily cut out to euery guest and to say to this effect So eat drinke and delight thy selfe as withall thou cast thy eye vpon this which sheweth thee what thou shalt be when thou art dead It may be this spirituall anatomie which I offer vnto you may haue as good a vse to call backe our ouer-lauish loues from the delights of this world by shewing vs either what we are or what we should be What though it be rudely cut yet when I remember a worthy speech of your owne What care I for a young man who can talke of genus and species and other logicall and philosophicall subtleties giue me an experienced Preacher who can speake to the heart I cannot doubt of your louing entertainment of this my homely worke I know you neglect not any humane Arts prouided they doe prepare and not imprison our wits from more noble imployments Modo praepareat noâ— detincâ—â—t ingentum it hath beene your glory to be well seene in some of them yet when I doe consider what S. Augustine saith if my memory faile not Surgâ—â—◠〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 â—â—â—orâ—â— trâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 The vnlearned arise and take heauen by violence whereas great Doctors are thrust into Hell and when I see that many thriue in grace who haue no learning but Scripture and no eloquence but what conscience doth dictate I cannot but humbly pray to God that you may alwaies be of that minde which you dâ—e d scouer in that gratious speech I know right well that they are to be found in the world who will lay other draughts of holinesse before you than you shall here finde They will tell you of Masses of haire-cloth of whippings of pilgrimages and other penances and were it not that God hath taught you already to discouer the hypocrisies of these and to see that to stop the mouth of conscience for a time they may be practised by the wickedest wretches they might haply preuaile with you being gilded ouer by the subtleties of Antichrist But blessed be God your soules are from amongst Lions and I hope you haue beene longer trained vp in Christs schoole than to be so gulled with such impostures My care and prayer to God for you shall rather be that yee may adorne the profession of the Gospell which yee haue vndertaken There are too many in the world who with Caius Curio are singularly eloquent Lin. vitae ex vell Patâ—râ— lib. 2. and wittily wicked but how much better is it to haue a flower tongue and a duller braine with more true godlinesse and honestie Goe on I humbly beseech you to be recluses from the world and from the wickednesse of it And because there are many who are like Copronimus of whom it is said Neâ— ChristianuÌ„ nec Iudaeum nec Paganum fuâ—sse sed colluuiâ—m quandam impietatis that though he would be called a Christian yet he was neither Christian nor Iew nor Pagan but a very sinke and puddle of sinne thâ—refore how will it honour such persons as yee are to redeeme the câ—edit of the Gospell fâ—om obloquie and to honour God by sincere and constant practises of pietie They lay a kinde of disgrace vpon God as well as vpon the Gospell that would be accounted Christians and yet are not good If a King should send with instructions for the presenting of his person and will to another Prince such a messenger as could not execute it did it not lay this disgrace vpon him that he is not able to chuse a fit person to doe his businesse So is it disgracefull to God to send such an one into the world in his name and with the honourable title of his seruant yea Sonne who doth the errand of the world the flesh and the deuill rather than of him whose name he beareth That therefore the censure of the Cynick vpon the common people who did highly extoll those that contemned money and yet were very money-mongers themselues may not fall vpon you let it be your glory and your reioycing not onely to praise and countenance the vertuous but also as you haue begun to be of the same knot and blessed societie I know that this must be effected by a spirituall death vnto the world and sinne but if it were a comfort to be put to death with Phocion 〈…〉 because Phocion was innocent and well-deseruing of the Common-wealth then how much comfort may it be vnto vs to haue fellowship in the death of Christ to our death vnto sinne and in his resurrection to our rising vnto newnesse of life This Sermon shall through Gods blessing a little helpe you forward in this gracious worke in which respect my humble suit vnto you is that you would be pleased to vse it as your owne I was loth to let you passe amongst my publike acknowledgments of others loues though I cannot at thiâ— tiâ—e giue you what place you haue and I would be lotâ— that now I doe shew my selfe vnto you I should not giue you that content which I desire To end in a word SIR let me put you
without it Thus we shall resemble that man after Gods owne heart Psal 84. whose soule longed and fainted for the Courts of the Lord. Fourthly we must desire the word by supernaturall instinct By instinct Babes in desiring the dugge doe not respect the profit the pleasure the goodnesse and nourishment of it but are carried vnto it by a naturall instinct so we must be addicted vnto the word not for eloquence learning law or times sake but by a supernaturall instinct and spirituall inclination to seeke nourishment from thence from whence we receiued our being in grace Let these foure be tokens of our nâ—w â—irth which if wee finde in our soules yea but in desire prouided there be a purpose and endeuour to increase let me then say vnto vs all with ioy that if we care a while we shall be for euer safe Secondly we may know that we receiue motion from Christ our head How wee may know that wee receiue motion from Christ our head if our heads and hearts be not moued to the world as the world but as it may be in any of the kindes of it a testimonie of Gods loue and a necessarie supply for our pilgrimage in this vale of teares It is true â—hat Agar may be in the familie for seruice but Sarah must be mistresse Abraham may build a Groue for his delight Gen. 21.33 â—ut hee must not forget God but call vpon the Lord the euerlasting God there The things of this world are but left-hand blessings and they must be vsed accordingly We all feele to our griefe that naturally we are carried to the earth but Christ swayeth his members another wâ—y For as it is wiâ—h the waters of the Sea though by their naturall course they follow the Center yet by obedience to the Moone they are subiect to her motion As it is conceiued and resolued by the wise men of nature and so turne and returne ebbe and flow and are kept in continuall motion to keepe them from corruption so is it with Christs members though by their owne motion they are carried to the earâ—h yet by obedience to Christ their first mouer they seeke the things that are aboue to keepe themselues from corrupting Lastly we may know that we as members doe worke for Christ How wee may knoâ— that wee worke for Christ our head if we seeke to aduance the honour of Christ in all things but especially in our selues If we looke into our owne soules wee shall finde that there is a cursed carnall wisdome which will worke a glorying in our worldly happinesse and an aduancing of our owne righteousnesse and moralitie together with a drawing vs to pride our selues in the many graces which God hath giuen vs. But if wee can wisely separate the worke of Christ from our owne working and when we feelingly consider our selues cry out with that holy Martyr Gehennah sum Domine I am hell Lord I am hell and with the blessed Apostle I am the least of Saints I am the chiefe of sinners and notwithstanding all the graces that are in vs to say in humble wise with the same Apostle I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord Rom. 7.25 and againe thanks be to God for his vnspeakable gift then with a holy confidence in the merits of our Sauiour wee may write our selues members of Christ Thus I hope that through Gods goodnesse I haue in some measure satisfied the first demand and made it appeare vnto vs how wee may discerne our selues to be the members of Christ What are those gifts of members which we doe receiue in our ingrafting into Christ The second question may be this What are those gifts which we doe receiue in our ingrafting into Christ by which it may be manifested vnto vs that we are new creatures and in Christ I answer that there are many gifts which God bestowes vpon vs at that time but I shall onely speake of those that are most sensible in their working as being most manifest discouerers of our new estates in Christ These gifts are two The first is the death of sinne the second is the life of grace Sinne must die and by degrees perish Grace must liue and by degrees flourish in vs if we be new creatures in Christ First sinne must die in vs. This the Apostle expresseth by mortifying our earthly members Mortification by crucifying the old man with the lusts thereof and by casting off concerning our conuersation in times past Col. 3.5 Gal. 5.24 Eph. 4.22 which is corrupt through the deceiueable lusts For the effecting whereof I would haue you distinctly conceiue these two points First what we must doe against sinne Secondly what we must suffer for the death of sinne As for our doing against sinne we must imitate the crucifying of Iesus Christ What we must doe against sinne which is an exact patterne of Gods iustice against sinne First wee must attache sinne by not suffering it freely to doe that mischiefe which it hath done It hath conuersed formerly in our soules without controll but now we must begin to thinke that it is possible for sin to be our enemie We must suspect it of felonie and treason against God therefore we must lay hands vpon it and resolue that it shall not haue that liberty to play its prancks as it hath had This counsell Paul giues to the Romanes when he saith Let not sinne reigne that is Rom. 6.12 13. call the authoritie of it into question giue not your members as weapons vnto it call in your forces from it and put it in hold that it may be forth-comming to answer that which shall be laid vnto its charge Secondly We must arraigne sinne by bringing of it vnto a iudiciall triall before the barre of our consciences as before Gods deputie We must examine it vpon the dishonour which it hath done to the God of mercy the wounds it hath made in our soules and the hurt it hath done to all which wee are and haue want of this it was that God complained of by Ieremy when hee hearkened and heard and no man spake aright saying What haue I done That is Ier. 8.6 no man betweene God and his owne soule called his sinne to an account Thirdly wee must indite sinne by making the accusation of it as large as the flying booke of Zacharies curses As if we should say O my God Zach. 5.2 this rebell sinne dishonoureth thee defaceth thy image makes me like the deuill hides thy fatherly countenance from me grieues thy spirit and wounds my conscience Luk. 15.17 18 19 and the like Thus the prodigall laid to the charge of sinne that he died for hunger that he had sinned against heauen that he departed from his father and that he was not worthy to be his sonne 1 Cor. 11.31 Fourthly we must condemne sinne by iudging of it out of measure sinfull and our selues for it worthy of
eternall wrath Ezek. 36.31 Marke the words of the Prophet Yee shall remember your wickednesse and your deeds which were not good and shall iudge your selues worthy to haue beene destroyed for your iniquities and abhominations Thus the Prodigall iudged himselfe not worthy to be called his fathers sonne Luk. 15.19 Most of vs iudge our selues better than we are because we compare our selues with our selues and with them that are worse some iudge themselues worse than they are as some few poore afflicted soules who being ouer-borne with the violence of temptation cannot see themselues in Christ but in the Law but we must passe righteous iudgement and that without repeale Fiftly we must execute sinne and to this end we must doe three things First wee must make a crosse for it by crossing and thwarting all the slights and fetches of sinne whereby it would gaine vpon vs. And this must be by caring and speedy paines-taking in our soules both after the pardon of sinne 2 Coâ— 7.11 and after power against it by apologie or clearing of our selues and vomiting the poyson of sin vp by hearty confession so soone as it is committed by indignation in renouncing all friendship with sinne and being angry with our selues that we should be such varlets as to commit it by fearing lest we should fall into it againe by desiring spirituall communion and fellowship with God in Christ in the vse of such meanes as God hath appointed for our strengthning by Zeale burning vp and consuming all fleshly loue and desire after sinne and all sluggishnesse to the practise of contrary graces by reuenge depriuing it of that which doth maintaine it that is not onely the lusts of pleasure and profit but the garment spotted by the flesh together with all occasions which may either draw on sinne or incourage it to be the more bold or take new hold vpon vs as excesse in our Christian libertie either in the vse of our meats drinks or cloathing Of these parts is the crosse of sinne excellently framed to bring it vnto death Secondly wee must number sinne amongst theeues before wee will execute it Wee vse not to execute any but those which are malefactors to this end therefore wee must account sinne so and reckon it to be as odious as may bee For thus wee shall both keepe our selues from danger when the very thought of the greatnesse of it doth affright vs as also we shall manifest our hatred of sinne when all the rhetoricke and eloquence we haue is little enough to set out the deformitie of it Thirdly for the executing of sinne wee must die with Christ for by faith we must set our selues in his roome and feele so neere an vnion betwixt him and vs that his death may really be ours and wee virtually die in him Then shall we haue our iust plea against all allurements to sinne How shall we that are dead to sinne liue yet therein Rom. 6.2 We cannot and be in Christ too for he that hath suffered in the flesh saith Peter hath ceased from sin 1 Pet. 4.1 2. that he hence-forward should liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lusts of men but after the will of God Thus deare Christians haue I taught you what wee must doe against sinne that sinne may die which because it cannot be without our passion and suffering therefore in the second place consider what wee must suffer for the death of sinne My hope and desire is that as your soules haue gone along with me hitherto so they shall still hold out vnwearied in such sauing points of diuinitie We must suffer for the death of sinne some things that goe before it some things that come with it and some things that doe follow after it First yee know that ordinarily sicknesse goeth before death so we must be sicke of sinne As a man that is stomack-sicke can haue no ease till the humors be abated one way or other so must it be betweene vs and sinne till sinne be abated Looke vpon Dauid 〈…〉 and you shall see that his bones were troubled his soule was vexed his heart fainted his eies were dimmed his bed was washed his couch was watered and all because he knew his iniquities and his sinne was euer before him Pâ—â—l â—1 â— When Dauid was thus sicke of sinne there was hope that the graue should be digged for it ere long meane while the spirit within him compelled him to goe to the Physitian of his soule and say O Lord heale mee for my bones are vexed And againe O Lord deliuer my soule that the bones which thou hast broken may reioâ—ce Secondly yee know that two things come with death namely decay of senses and pangs of death so these two things also we must suffer for the death of sin Our sense of sinne must decay our eies must feebly behold the obiects by which â—inne is nourished See â—y Sâ—râ—on vpon Gal. â— â— We must turne them away from beholding vanitie with pleasure our eares must not endure to heare of it as I haue said before Our senses abused are the Deuils cinque-ports both to let out that wickednesse which is bred in our hearts Mâ—â—â—m 〈◊〉 〈…〉 and to let in that which by the aduersarie is sowed in the field of Gods creatures when therefore we doe challenge them from the Deuill Iâ—b 31.1 and sense them for Gods vses as Iob when he made a couenant with his eyes and Dauid when hee would hearken what the Lord will say and the like then doe â—hey decay and perish from sinne and from vncleannesse Againe we must finde to the griefe and vâ—xâ—tion of our naturall estate that our sinnes doe struggle and striue as for life and are vnwilling to die The Deuill finding his kingdome in sinne to be diminished must then or neuer bestirre himselfe as a she Lion robbeâ— of her whelpes We know by common experience that the birth of a childe naturall cannot be without paine so neither can the birth of the new man that hid man of the Heart Was it not a paine to the Israelites to be called out of Aegypt and in the wildernesse to be fitted for fellowship with God by thunderings lightnings earthquakes and the like It is no lesse to all Gods Sonnes whom he calleth out of the Aegypt of sin whereof Pharaohs Aegypt was but a type and shadow Therefore was Dauid cast into the deepe Psal 130.1 out of which hee called vnto God and when Ionas was of a prodigall to become a conuert he cried vnto God out of the belly of hell Ionas 2.2 Thirdly yee know that two things also follow after death to wit coldnesse and putrâ—faction euen so these two things also we must suffer for the death of sinne for first sinne must be cold in vs Before it was as it were our life bloud in our account without which we could not liue If euer we shewed any
the good Word of God which is able to saue our soules As wee doe wry our mouthes with the new borne babe after the dugge of Gods Word so with the growne man we haue a good stomacke and appetite vnto it The huskes of mans wisdome and humane traditions are hunted after of those of whom the Apostle saith Beware of dogges Phil. 3.2 but the man of God hungreth to heare God speake And because he knowes that he is borne againe for the kingdome of God therfore though when he meets with the things of this world he doth thankfully embrace them vse them as if he vsed them not yet he seekes after the things aboue Col. 3.1 aboue the world the Church aboue nature grace aboue the fauour of Princes the grace of God aboue sinne a Sauiour aboue earth heauen If therefore it be thus with our soules that as all creatures do seek their meats sutable to their natures the Lion flesh the Horse grasse the Fowles Wormes the Catts Mise and the Bees hony so we doe hunt after these things then haue we entred into this life Secondly Those helpes that doe respect our enemies are our naturall vigilancy and watchfulnesse against that which doth thwart and oppose life And from this head I shall commend vnto you two signes of life The first is Sensiblenesse of the least degree of death or opposition of life He that is in an irrecouerable estate 2 Sensiblenesse of death findes not the least degrees of death creeping vpon him and when hee is readie to die saith He is well whereas he that is well is sensible of the least distemper but if a man be dead he doth not feele death it selfe he heares no alarum to battaile sees not the approach of any enemy nor smels the stinke of any wound So if we be in a spiritually-dead estate we feele not killing sinne to approach Prou. as Solomon saith of the foole Hee casteth fire-brands arrowes and mortall things and saith I am not in iest So we make sport vnto our selues in the committing of sinne and say Doe we not liue Yea if we be dead let God send one letter of defiance vnto vs after another for our sinnes we heare and heare not we know and vnderstand not and though from â—he crowne of the head to the sole oâ— the foot there be no part whole 〈…〉 nothing but botches and blaines full of corruption yet wee smell not the stinke of the corruption of our wounds we runne not to the bâ—lme of Gilead wee desire not the good Samaritane to helpe vs but if wee are aliue oh how doe we scud from death as the fearfull Hare from the greedie Hound How doth the least approach of this death by the least sinne make vs cry out with Paul Wretched man that I am Rom. 7. who shall deliuer mee from the bodie of this death Poore Christians who are deiected and cast downe at the fearefull fight of their owne guiltinesse the more sensible they are of the death of sinne the more they cry out of themselues as of dead men whereas if they would passe righteous iudgement they should conclude that the spirit of life is in them 3 Fiâ—hing against death The next signe of life is fighting against that which would take it away The liuing worme being trod vpon will turne vp the taile Heare O worme Iacob so wilt thou if thou haue any life in thee When the worme feeleth the earth to be shaken presently it commeth running out of the earth fearing the approach of the mole so if thou liue when thou feelest the shaking of the cabbin of thy ease and securitie thy bodie I meane by paineâ— acheâ— and diseases then thou dost presently startle come to the doore to see what newes meet thine enemy death disarme him and pull out his sting that at the last â—he conquest may bee thine Againe is there life in vs then the Spirit of life doth fight against the flesh â—om â— â— lest wee liuing after it do die Oh how doe liuing men striue against the whole bodie of sinne and death How doth the spirit lust agaâ—nst the flesh Yea Gal. 5.17 how doth the liuing spirit get the vpper hand and sight more manfully euery day than other especially against that sinne which doth most crosse it I haue kept me from my wickednesse saith Dauid that is Pâ—â—l 18.23 that sinne whereunto hee was most inclined euen so must we if we haue this new life This is the way to finde all liuing grâ—â—es to increase all sin to be in a decaying estate For we know that there is no equall match betweene the old man the new as God smites the enemies of his people on the checke bone that is Psâ—l 3.7 hee deales not with them as with men but as with boyes in stead of opposing them with swords and stauâ—â— hee sends them away with a boxe on the eare so will the liuing spirit deale with the dying flesh it will master it at the last as a growne man would a childe and ouercome it with lesse difficultie though not without all danger to it selfe Secondly Where there is the life of grace there will be an imployment of our strength in the acts of life The actions of liuing men are proper to men that are aliue so are they to these new men From this head therefore I shall giue you further two sorts of signes either such as doe concerne a mans owne indiuiduall person or those which are shewed for succession in propagating their kinde They which doe concerne a mans person are two 4 The breath of the new man First if we can freely draw the breath of the new man It is a signe of life to men of the world if wee can freely draw that breath which God doth offer for the prolonging of naturall life so likewise is this a signe of this new life if wee can freely draw the breath of Gods mouth which God doth breathe vnto the hid man of the heart And what breath is this but the Spirit of the Lord in the Scriptures Marke therefore if wee can draw in the Word of God to the cooling comforting and refreshing of our weary hearts which pant vnder the burden of sinne and if we can put it out againe both to coole the violence and fierie courses of sinfull men and to heat and warme the lukewarme and frozen hearted sonnes of men this will assure vs that we liue the life of God 5 Seruice of God The second signe which doth concerne our persons is this If wee doe put ouer our whole bodies and soules to the seruice of God For as then wee doe liue a naturall life when we doe imploy all our strength to the seruice of nature and as then wee doe liue a loyall life to our Soueraigne when wee are wholly taken vp for his honour and maintenance in good so then wee liue the life of
Christ The dead shall heare the voice of God and shall arise Both which places doe speake of a gracious arising from sinne As therefore the holy Ghost saith All must first die and then comes the resurrection to iudgement So all must first die to sinne or they shall neuer arise to liue godlily Sometimes againe it is called a Quickning Psal 119.25 as when Dauid saith Quicken me according to thy Word As therefore the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. O foole that which thou sowest is not quickned except it die So neither are our soules quickned except they thus die Secondly if we respect the malice of sinne it is such a deadly aduersarie that we cannot be deliuered from death in sinne but by the death of sinne if we doe not kill sin sinne will kill vs. As AZahel pursued Abner like a swift Roe so doth sinne vs euen vnto the graue and will neuer giue vs rest till it be quite vanquished in the perfect mortification of the bodie against the day of the Resurrection As therefore wee doe desire that grace may liue so wee must striue that this deadly enemie of grace may die Vse 1 We hauing thus considered the truth of this point may deriue from it both matter of doctrine and matter of exhortation As for doctrine it learneth vs that there must be a thorow change in all the children of God before they can be termed gracious Iohn 11. As when Lazarus who stunke in his graue was raised from death to life there was a thorow change in him a change in his parts essentiall and a change in his parts integrall in which respect a man might well haue said here is not the same man euen so is it with euerie one of vs when God makes vs gracious which change that we doe not conceiue to be substantiall we must marke as we are often taught that as there are three things to be considered in an instrument the bodie the strings and the harmonie wrought by the skill of the player So in man there is the bodie and soule the faculties and the worke of them Now touching this change the bodie soule and faculties remaining intire the change is made in the last when discord thorow the whole man is changed into concord and anomie in all the powers of man into conformitie to Gods will For this cause sanctification may be compared vnto our sense of touching If of blinde wee are made seeing there is a change but in the eye if of deafe wee are made hearing there is a change but in the eare if our smelling be restored there is a change but in the nose if our tasting be brought to vs againe there is a change but in the pallat but if our feeling be lost and restored there is a change in the whole bodie So is it with this spirituall Resurrection and quickning which worketh a change in the powers of the whole bodie and soule in putting them ouer to Gods vse There must be a new vnderstanding quickned to know Gods will a new heart quickned to incline vnto it and imbrace it new bodily instruments quickned to be weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse yea and the whole man 2 Cor. 5.17 or a new man or a new creation both in the whole soule and bodie and spirit to be kept blamelesse vntill the comming of our Lord Iesus 1 Thess 5.23 Thus in the first place let vs take notice of this point that so we entring into our selues and viewing the whole man may discerne by a change or no change whether we are sanctified and quickned yea or no. Vse 2 Secondly this point serueth also to exhort euery one of vs to a conscionable care to trie whether we haue life in vs yea or no. If we liue we can say as the father of his prodigall sonne This my sonne was dead and is aliue So I was dead yea I am dead vnto sinne and am aliue Wee haue no more assurance that we are aliue than we haue certaintie that we are dead If England and Ireland lay claime to one peece of ground the triall must be this Put a snake into it if it liues it belongs to England if it dieth it is Irish ground Right so if there be a controuersie betweene God and the Deuill whose possession man shall be the triall shall be thus Put the Serpent sinne into him if it liue he is the Deuils if it pine away and die he is part of Gods heritage Will you inquire then how we shall know whether sin die in vs yea or no I answer as a man may know whether another be dead vnto nature by the antecedent of death to wit sicknesse by the concomitants of death namely the decay of senses and pangs of death and by the consequents which are coldnesse and putrefaction So answerably we may know whether we are dead vnto sinne these three waies First by this antecedent which goeth before it namely See these three more largely in my Sermon on 2 Cor. 5.17 if we be sicke of sinne If as a man surcharged with grosse humours is neuer at ease till he haue abated them by vomit or purge so we oppressed with our sinnes can haue no rest in our soules till wee haue discouered sinne to our selues by examination opened it to God by confession executed reuenge vpon it by godly sorrow and purged it by faith in Christ then sinne is in a good degree to death Secondly by these two concomitants which goe with it First the sense of sinne must decay If therefore our eyes doe feebly behold vanitie and not with that vigour and content as before if our eares cannot endure to heare of it if we flie from the garment spotted of the flesh as from a Serpent if we finde no rellish and sauour in it but with an honest heart can say to it as to an vnprofitable thing Get thee hence then are wee in a second degree in the death of sinne But if secondly wee are come to the pangs of this death and doe finde that our sins through our lothnesse to forsake them haue striued and struggled as for life haue disturbed the peace of our soules haue sadded the flesh as those that mourne for the death of their friends haue comforted the spirit as those that reioyce at the death of enemies and so haue made the paines of the new birth the greater then are we a degree further in the death vnto sinne Thirdly we shall know it by these consequents which follow vpon it to wit coldnesse and putrefaction If therefore the heat of sinne be ouer Esay â— and the spirit of burning doe by degrees take possession of the place to consume it and if it rot and stinke in our account and make vs a burthen to our selues so long as it retaineth liuelihood in any corner of our bodies or soules then this is a fourth degree in the death of sinne and that which may assure vs of
whose corne and wine and oyle increase We shall stand againe before the God of our consciences for though he seeme to frowne and send afflictions and crosses and diseases and death Esai 38.3 yet as Hezekiahs Iurie gaue way to that comfortable prayer O Lord remember I beseech thee how I haue walked before thee with an vpright heart so will ours giue way to our comfortable grasping of God and his promise that we perish not in trouble Thus wee haue viewed these reasoning thoughts as a witnesse propounding the truth A Iudge within vs. and as a Iurie applying it to the parties to be tried we come now vnto it as a Iudge concluding Conclusion without all which three there can be no perfect reasoning Whence I offer this point to consider that Wee haue also in our selues vnder God our Iudges For hence is it that we are said to haue reasonings because as a Iudge wee both open the law that the witnesse may propound fit truths and as a Iudge we determine accordingly in the conclusion As it is with Princes and Kings who are the high Iudges of their kingdomes they haue Iudges vnder them by deputation to whom they commit their iudgements of God and allot their seuerall circuits so though God be the high Iudge of heauen and earth ouer the hearts and consciences of all men yet doth hee depute these inferiour Iudges in the circuit of euery mans brest to passe the conclusion and sentence of God Hence is it that Saint Iohn doth couple God and conscience in the selfe-same action of a Iudge 1 Iohn 3.20 If our hearts condemne vs God is greater then our hearts and knoweth all things To condemne wee know is an action of a Iudge and how good cause wee haue to account our consciences our Iudges will appeare if wee consider these three points First That sentence which is giuen by conscience is confirmed by God wee see that so soone as Adam had sinned though no man pursued him no Angell reproued him and the Lord was not yet come hee found himselfe condemned by the inward Iudge and when God came he ratified the same sentence But wee cannot thinke that God would confirme the sentence of a rebell who hath set himselfe in Gods throne to iudge without God Secondly Such is the maiestie and authoritie of conscience that it stands against all the world Looke as a good Iudge though all the world doe pleade against the truth yet he is for it and will not reuoke his iudgement so is it with conscience Therefore doth the Apostle set the sentence of conscience against the calumnies of all men saying 1 Câ—â—â—â— 4 I passe very little to be iudged by you or of mans iudgement no I iudge not my selfe for I know nothing by my selfe and so forth as if hee should say Yee are very forward in censuring mee both in respect of my gifts and faithfulnesse in my place I weigh your censures little though I will not be the preacher of my owne praise yet I tell you I know nothing by my selfe Thus conscience of his faithfulnesse did beare him out against the slanders of false Apostles Thirdly where conscience terrifieth no creature can comfort the pleasures of Paradise auailed not Adam when he was driuen to hide his head in a bush the pleasures of Canaan did Dauid little pleasure when he was driuen to cry out My sinne is euer before me All the delights of Babylon could not raise vp Belshazzars heart when the hand wrote Gods sentence against him on the wall and in his conscience If the Iudge condemne who shall absolue Excellent is that similitude which an ancient makes to this purpose A man condemned to die trieth his three friends to procure his pardon one saith I haue no grace with the King and therefore I can promise thee no such kindnesse yet this will I doe I will buy thee meat and drinke garments and musicke thou shalt want nothing that may giue thee content while thou art here All this is good and yet it contents not because the poore man wanteth a pardon The second answereth I know not how to get to the King but this I will doe I will bewaile thy miserable hap weepe for thy losse and attend thee to the court gates All this is good kindnesse and yet it contents not because the poore condemned man would haue a pardon The third saith Rest vpon my kindnesse I am one of the Kings fauourites and he will deny me nothing I will goe to the court and before the day of execution I will surely bring thy pardon sealed This is he this is the friend that will make the poore man out-face all his trouble because he answereth to the point indeed Behold the case is ours we are poor condemned wretches who must to hel without our pardon our three friends are the world wife children and kindred and a good conscience The world will prouide all necessaries for our bodies but not a pardon this is not purchased with a corruptible price of siluer and gold Wife and children will lament our losse and goe sighing and sobbing to the graue with vs but they leaue vs to our owne shifts for a pardon But a good conscience will make vs outstand all dangers it will procure our peace and our pardon As the world cannot helpe where conscience hurteth so the world cannot hurt where conscience helpeth Vse Thus wee haue considered this iudging power of conscience Oh that wee had hearts to doe our office to conscience and to presse our consciences to doe their offices to and for vs neither can bee done without our care yet we must doe both We must doe our office to conscience three waies First by praying to God for it Ye know that we must pray for them that are in authoritie ouer vs and shall conscience be neglected God forbid When there was no King in Israel ye know what disorders happened surely lesse or fewer doe not happen where conscience is not in full power Miserable is the condition of the inhabitants of Brasile Sine fide Sine lege Sine rege who are said to bee without religion without law without a King and they are no lesse wretched who are without this religious Iudge and gouernour conscience Therefore let vs pray for it that God would giue it that God would keepe it and keepe it tender that so wee may liue a quiet and comfortable life vnder it Secondly wee must doe our dutie to conscience by giuing it good words Yee know the Word of God Thou shalt not curse the ruler of thy people Oh that we could alwaies remember it in the case of conscience hee that buies with conscience sells with conscience rules with conscience obeies with conscience is commended euen of men that haue no conscience yet if conscience rule in any in the seruing of God and make them tremble at Gods precepts promises or threatnings and the like hee is but
it to wit when what one Iustice sets vp another pulleth downe and what one pulleth downe another setteth vp so is it with these cursed disorders within from that iarre betwixt Reason Will Affections and Desires that is found in vs. Thirdly selfe-loue For as in the Common-wealth many persons of vile conditions are maintained or some profit which is reaped from them and many houses of notorious disorder are vpheld as if they were the very life-bloud of societies wherein we liue for the greatnesse of that rent which they may bring vnto vs so is there much disorder in our inward iudiciall proceedings because wee loue our selues too well All our Logicke is too little to conclude for our selues and all our reason imployed to bring sackes to our owne mills for the time by profits pleasures honours and the like and for after times let come what can come we care not Fourthly skilfulnesse in subtill euasions for as it is in the Common-wealth because almost no bond lease conueyance or will is so sure but a cunning head can finde a hole to make worke for vncharitable persons and because no cause is so good but an innocent man who is confident in his cause and carelesse in the meanes to cleare it may by subtiltie be ouerthrowne therefore there are many disorders in Courts of outward Iustice so because there are infinite subtilties to daube ouer the conscience for a time there are many disorders in the inward court of our hearts Religion did neuer thriue worse than when the Schoole-men had perplexed euery part with varietie of questions and multitudes of quaeres whereby Religion was drawne from the heart to the head and the kinde worke of conscience neuer went on lesse to our comfort than since we healed the hurt of it with sweet words and stopped vp the mouth of it with politicke euasions Vse These and all other causes of this fault of corrupt reasonings in our selues must be rooted out what though we can please our selues for a time in the want of the loue of God discord in our selues selfe-loue and cunning trickes which are the cause of it yet one day neither all these any of these nor any others shall order our consciences from roaring the truth in our eares In the Proâ—ince of Cottie in Scotland We reade of a stone in Scotland about thirteene foot in height which if we may beleeue it wil so dampe the roaring of a Cannon that if it be shot off on the one side the report cannot be heard on the other But we shall finde no such defence from the cries of conscience when before the iudgement seat of God the secrets of our vnderstandings memories wills affection Rom. 2.16 and bodies yea all secrets shall be iudged by Iesus Christ according to the Gospell Oh therfore ye that are witnesses to propound the truth looke vnto conscience speake the whole truth and nothing but the truth for conscience sake Let not malice ill will priuate gaine make you to offend conscience for a world Yee that are the Iurie to apply this truâ—h according to law take heed that yee incline not to the looke to the word to the profit to the pleasure of any man whatsoeuer what or who can doe you good when your consciences are wounded when yee are called to an account for the breach of the peace of your consciences Then surely as Seneca when he came to his Farme and saw the house which he had builded decayed a tree which he had planted rotten a Boy which hee had brought vp with gray haires Quocunque oculâ—â— conuertoâ— deo documentance aetatis said whithersoeuer I looke I behold the monitors of my age so yee shall see on euery side the remembrancers of your woe Your honours the Iudges watch ouer the peace of your consciences in your conclusions Ye may often reade and thinke of that Iudge whom your Fortescue mentioneth Saepius ipse mihi fassâ—es est quâ—d nunquam in 〈◊〉 iâ— animum cius de hoc sacto â—pâ—purgaâ—et who hauing condemned a Gentlewoman to death for the murther of her husband vpon the bare accusation of her man which was afterwards found false Often confessed vnto him that hee should neuer during his life be able to purge or cleare his conscience of that fact And to conclude that conscience may be the better furthered in all others we that are men of God men of conscience looke we to conscience Haue we another way to heauen than we teach others that we should teach them to keepe a good conscience and neglect it our selues In the feare of God please we our consciences and not our passions or the lusts of your youth and as Seneca willed Lucilius to doe all things as if graue Cato were present so let vs doe all things as if our consciences looked vpon vs yea as Hierome whether he did eat or drinke or walke and so forth he thought he heard that fearefull voice Arise ye dead and come to iudgement so let vs heare the voice of conscience We presse our people to walke in the presence of their consciences at the least once a day but for vs as at the bankes of Euboia the sea doth ebbe and flow seuen times a day so let vs doe it seuen times a day also Oh how would this as the Prophet speaketh make vs Priests after Gods owne heart How would it kill pride passion contention selfe-loue couetousnesse and the like which make vs many times lesse profitable to Gods people yea and to account them which haue many graces the scum of our assemblies Is not this to be iudges of euill reasonings Well let all of vs thinke how this power of conscience abused will pay vs home at the last Call to minde the example of Iames Abbes the Martyr Fox Acts and Monuments who being drawne by craftie reasonings to fall from the Gospell was pitiously vexed in conscience and could haue no rest till he went and told the Bâ—shop that it repented him that euer he had consented to their wicked perswasions Remember Thomas Whittle who being constrained through imprisonment to yeeld to the Bishop of London afterwards felt such a hel in his conscience that he could scarcely refrain from destroying himselfe and could be at no rest till he was vnder the crosse againe Forget not also that which we reade of Archbishop Cranmer who writing for feare of death contrarie to truth was more troubled in conscience for it than for all that euer he did and therefore because his hand writ contrary to his heart he would burne that first The like wee reade also of William Sparrow who after submission to Popish Idolatrie went with a troubled soule and could not be quiet till hee had preached against it and professed that if euery haire of his head were a man he would burne them all rather than goe from the truth againe Let vs alwaies haue fresh in our memories these and the like examples
displease God as God and doth carrie the Deuils stampe vpon it though it were neuer so small though neuer so profitable or pleasurable vnto vs though God did not see and iudge and the Deuill would not execute wee would not willingly commit it Behold this is our cutting off without hands Oh my beloued Christians now enter into your hearts and I hope that by this signe you shal see your selues to be in Christ If when you compare your selues with them that walke in naturall courses and see that you are cut off from them in iudgement in heart and in conuersation you can in simplicitie and godly purenesse say Lord thou knowest that our care hath not beene only to haue holinesse to the Lord without but to reforme our hearts and to dresse them vp for thee according to those spirituall abilities which thou hast giuen vs. Thou knowest Lord that we haue complained sighed and prayed vnto thee against the bodie of sinne and death and because thou louest the soule best we doe account all the sinnes of the soule most fearefull and therefore haue laboured against the blindnesse vanitie and carnall wisdome of our minds against the deadnesse and securitie of our hearts and the like It is not hid from thee our God that we haue beene and are vpright with thee Psal 18.23 and haue kept vs from our wickednesse not so much because it hurt vs as because it dishonoured thee not so much because it displeased vs as because it displeased thee and was contrary to thy most holy Law and Nature in the inâ—oyment of the communicable glorie whereof standeth our ioy and happinesse If it be thus with our soules at the least according to the desires purposes and endeuours of our hearts and if we doe groane vnder the want of that full measure of it which we might attaine vnto then we may comfort our hearts with this perswasion that we are in Christ The second Signe of our being cut from the first Adam is taken from the effect of it which is tendernesse of heart and conscience We know that a thing newly cut is tender as we may see in the example of Sychemites Gen. 34. newly circumcised And this was the reason why the Israelites were not circumcised in the wildernesse because through tendernesse they might not be vnfit for warre or trauell Now you must know that this our cutting off from Adam which being so done as it is alwaies doing till death is still fresh and bleeding new doth breed a double tendernesse First an inward tendernesse which is discouered by a sensiblenesse of our owne estate Secondly an outward tendernesse which is manifested by our sensiblenesse of anothers touch Wee are inwardly tender ouer our owne estates when with quicknesse we can apprehend the sinfulnesse of our natures Thus it was with Paul Rom. 7.18 when he professed to know that in him that is in his flesh dwelt no good thing This will fill vs with godly sorrow with a base opinion of our selues with Christian watchfulnesse and with a care to our power and in our places to preuent sinne in others and not willingly to admit of any thing that may kindle any lust or increase the practise of any sinne We are outwardly tender vnder anothers touch either in respect of euill or good In respect of euill when it is death and daggers to our soules that God should be dishonoured As in respect of our selues if sinne doe but touch our eares eyes tongues hands or thoughts we doe speedily turne them ouer to Gods vses desiring God to protect them and make them weapons of righteousnesse vnto holinesse so in respect of others like Iosephs irons it entereth into our soules that God should be dishonoured by them It was thus with Moses who Exod. 32.32 when he saw how greatly God would be dishonoured if hee should destroy a people whom he had so newly deliuered by his mightie power was so tender of that euill that he desired God rather to rase him out of the Booke of life You can parallele this with Paul his example also Rom. 9.3 Oh how excellently had they profited in Gods Schoole and learned to manifest their cutting off from the old stocke by their tendernesse vnder the touch of sinne Wee shall well imitate them when we can make all the rest of the petitions in faithfulnesse and truth to follow Hallowed be thy name In respect of good also wee are tender vnder anothers touch when we startle at the touch of God If God touch vs with his threatnings we must be as sensible as hee that said Psal 119. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements If he touch vs with his promises we must hide them in our hearts and be so rauished with them that wee can feelingly say How sweet are thy promises to my mouth Psal 119. 1 Sam. 3. yea sweetâ—r than honey to my mouth If he touch vs with his precepts we answer with Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth and our hearts can eccho as Dauids did to this precept Psal 27.8 Seeke yee my face saying Thy face Lord will I seeke What shall I now say I will call vpon all our soules to apply this signe Let vs examine our owne hearts vpon our beds Psal 4. and be still Assure our selues of this that if we would fiâ—de our selues to be cut off from Adam wee must finde our selues tender Psal as I haue said Me thinks I heare you say that your sinfull estate is a burthen too heauy for you to beare that daily you groane to God vnder the sense of it as Paul Rom. 7. Wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death That you are grieued when God is dishonoured and because he is dishonoured daily therefore the very thought of it doth daily make you sigh Me thinks you say that you heartily desire that your eyes could gush out riuers of waters because men keepe not Gods law Psal 119. and that you quickly apprehend the touch of God in all his word or at the least if you cannot that your soules are filled with godly sorrow and that you doe desire God to circumcise the fore-skin of your hearts Deut 30.6 If it be thus then feare not but that you are in an vndoubted way to your being in Christ But if otherwise that our hearts are hard and senselesse of our owne miseries and Gods touch then woe woe woe vnto vs we are farre from being new creatures and so farre from Christ and so farre from heauen and happinesse T he second generall way whereby we may proue our selues to be new creatures We must be grafted into the new stock is by our ingrafting into the new stocke for before we are in Christ we must be grafted in Now in this ingrafting which is by the power of faith whereby we are through Gods ordinance made one with
actiuitie it was in sinning we rushed into wickednesse as a horse into the battaile we drunke iniquitie like as the wilde Asse doth water But now our heat is much abated As it was with Iob when God had brought him to see himselfe hee was cold in his pleadings against God and said Once haue I spoken but I will answer no more Iob 39.38 yea twice but I will proceed no further so it is with all Gods people so that if euer they fall into sinne againe they are very buâ—glers at it they cannot hide it and colour it as they did before they cannot giue it the full strength and force of will and affections yea as there is great difference betwixt the naturall worke of a childe and of a man so is there no lesse difference betwixt sinne in the childe of God in whom it waxeth more cold euery day than other and in the wicked who is a man in sinning and in whom it is vigorous and like the Leuiathan in the sea in its owne proper element Secondly sinne must as it were stinke in our nostrils It must be like Lazarus in the graue Iohn 11. of whom it was said he stinketh alreadie As therefore Dauids enemies said to him Fie vpon thee fie vpon thee so must we with loathing say to sinne The Prophet speaking of those that should be true conuerts from Idolatrie Esay 30.22 saith Yee shall pollute the couerings of the Images of siluer and the rich ornament of thine Images of gold and cast them away as a menstruous clout and thou shalt say vnto it Get thee hence Thus muâ—t all true Conuerts deale with all sin If the righteous man can smell sin and iniquity euen in his holy offerings Exod. â—8 38 â—â—aâ—â—4 â— in which respect our righteousnes is as a menstruous and polluted cloth how much more must a penitent man smell hell in his sinne to make him to abhorre it for euermore Me thinkes now my beloued I haue laid a glasse before you wherein you may view your soules God make it to cause a comfortable â—eflexion vpon you that yee may see your owne pictures My hope is that the more yee view it the more yee shall see that it is none other but what yee feelingly and from experience finde to be wrought in you alreadie towards the eternall death of your cursed enemie 2 Viuification Yet yee must goe one step further as I haue told you for as sinne must die and perish so grace must liue and florish The second gift therefore which we doe receiue in our grafting into Christ 2 Cor. 4.10 â—pheâ— 4.18 1 Pet. 4.2 is a new life This is called the life of Iesus and the life of God and liuing after the will of God and Christs liuing in vs liuing vnto God â—al 2.20 Rom. â— â—7 and obeying from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine to which we are deliuered and the like Looke as when there shall be a new heauens and a new earth wherein righteousnesse shall dwell as Peter speaketh there shall be a new life â— Pet 3.13 and a new mâ—nner of liuing for wee shall not need the ordinarie supplies in this world for our necessities or infirmities when the Lambe shall be all in all vnto vs so when wee are new creatures in Christ Iesus wee doe receiue a new life and a new manner of liuing The old course of sinning cannot agree with this estate Rom. 8.1 He that is in Christ must not walke after the flesh but after the spirit Hence is it that Christ saith He that abideth in mee and I in him Iohn 15.5 the same bringeth forth much fruit And Iohn doth strongly second it saying If we say that we haue fellowship with him 1 Iohn 1.6 and walke in darknesse we lie As therefore when we looke vpon the Impes which we haue grafted and see them bring forth bud leafe and fruit we reioyce in the worke of our hands and say they take well so when we looke vpon our selues who are grafted into Christ Philip. 1.11 and see that wee bring forth the fruits of râ—ghteousnesse which are by Iesus wee may reioyce in the worke of Gods hands who hath wrought all our workes for vs and say that we take well Esay 26.12 The Spirit of Christ which in our grafting into him he conueigheth vnto vs is a Spirit of life it is an actiue and operatiue Spirit Rom. 8.2 in which respect the second Adam is called a quickening Spirit What must we doe now I will tell you 1 Cor. 15.45 Seeing those that are new creatures in Christ must liue a new life therefore euery one of vs must trie whether we haue this new life in vs yea or no. I know that the newest life wee can procure cannot deserue Gods presence and fauour yet by Gods gratious acceptation it giues a fit qualification for the entertainment of such a guest as God is For if to bring vs vnto Kings we must not be base and sordid in our persons and conuersations yea we must be acquainted with fit complements for such a presence for Mordecai might not enter into the Kings gate when hee was clothed with sackcloth Host 4.2 much more must we be furnished with fit complements and qualities for the presence of God in Christ and to haue communion and fellowship with him How wee may discouer this new liâ—e Lift we vp our hearts then and let vs consider whether we haue this life in vs yea or no. It may be you will say How shall we know whether we haue this new life of the new creature I answer that this may be discouered vnto vs two waies 1. By our aptnesse in procuring the helps of life 2. By our imployment of our strength in the acts of life First Where there is the life of grace there is an aptnesse to preserue it selfe by procuring the helpes of life Now these helpes doe either respect our selues Helpes of a new life or our enemies That which respects our selues is fit maintenance for grace Fit maintenance Grace thriues not where it cannot bee maintained and wheresoeuer it is it will seeke for more As I said before that in the very entrance of our new birth We will as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word so at that time when our ingrafting into Christ is more manifested vnto our consciences wee still ayme at meanes to maintaine and preserue it Oh how doe we pray to God That God would stablish vs by his free Spirit Psal 51. and not take his holy Spirit from vs How doe we pant vnto God That hee would grant vs according to the riches of his glory â—â—hes 3.16 17. that wee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith and that wee may bee rooted and grounded in loue How doe we hunger and thirst after
in dressing What euer they be the defects are mine what euer it be the good is Gods and for your with other of Gods peoples goods Let God haue your praise to whom it is due let me haue your prayers who need and craue them that I may still continue Your faithfull Shepherd wishing and striuing for your eternall good ROBERT ABBOT THE NEW MANS New Life GALAT. 2.20 I am crucified with Christ neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in me and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God WE reade that the tombe wherewith the carkasse of proud Sennacherib was couered had this inscription Jntuens me aliquis discat essâ— piuâ— Let him that lookes vpon me learne to be godly Much more may a spirituall eye see this ingrauen vpon this golden saying of the Apostle Let no man dare looke vpon me except he resolue to be godly For the Apostle presenteth vs himselfe and all the children of God in his person vnder such an one as is dead vnto the world and sinne and liueth not the life of nature but of grace and godlinesse Neither is it needlesse for vs to behold such draughts in these dayes we being not onely cast asleepe through our securitie but dead in sinnes and trespâ—sses and buried vnder the clots of this world to the wofull miserie of our soules and the dishonour of our Maker How needfull therefore is it for vs to vse all meanes for a ioyfull resurrection and amongst the rest deeply to consider this speaking patterne of Paul in these words which in the naturall language of them doe make some such out-cry as this Lift vp your heads yee gates and be yee lift vp yee euerlasting doores that the King of glory may come in and dwell in your hearts by faith To which that we may haue the more hearing eares and from which that by the blessing of God wee may reape the more comfort let vs with humble hearts carry along with vs the context sense and seuerall obseruations setled by application vpon our soules Context As for the context and coherence with the words foregoing conceiue it thus The Apostle being to dispute against the Galatians Galat. 1.6 who had made a defection from the doctrine of the Gospell to iustification by works doth plainly set downe this proposition That we are not iustified by the works of the Law Galat. 2.16 but by the faith of Iesus Christ Which being proued by a reason drawne from the feeling iudgement and conscience of the best Iewes in these words we know as also as it is thought by this testimonie Psal 143.2 that by the works of the Law no flesh shall be iustified in Gods sight he fore-seeing that this doctrine of free iustification without our works might by false Apostles be charged with carnall libertie doth propound an obiection to that purpose Is Christ the minister of sinne and doth with a secret detestation answer it God forbid As if he should say Farre be it from the doctrine of the Gospell to giue libertie vnto sinne for as I will at no hand build againe iustification by workes which I haue destroyed because I can finde no comfort in the Law I being dead vnto it and it driuing mee to Christ so I doe know that Christ is not onely my price but my purger that Christ doth not onely say Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee but sinne no more lest a worse thing come vnto thee For I account my selfe crucified with Christ neuerthelesse I liue yet not I but Christ liueth in mee and the life which I now liue in the flesh I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God Thus I haue brought you vnto the Text. Sense In the consideration whereof I would next intreat you to stay a while vpon the meaning of the words lest the hard and difficult phrases thereof like Asahels body 2 Sam. 2.23 doe hinder the passing of the people by The hard phrases are fiue The first is when he saith I am crucified with Christ for how can this be true when hee was not conuerted to Christianitie before Christs ascension was past For the opening of this you must know that thâ—re is a double crucifying spoken of in the Scriptures The first is Actuall and so according to a double custome it may signifie two things for according to the custome of the Iewes it is to be stoned to death Alsted in Theol. Catech. and aâ—terwards with cords to be bound vnto a crosse and to be set vp as vpon a gibbet for a terrifying example to the like offendors but thus neither Paul nor Christ was crucified Ioh. 18.31 for it was nor lawfull for the Iewes at that time to put any man to death But according to the custome of the Gentiles it is to bee racked and fastned to a crosse with nailes driuen through the hands and feet of a liuing man and so to continue vnto death Thus Christ was crucified but not Paul or we The second is a virtuall crucifying and thus the children of God are said to bee crucified with Christ when they by vertue of that communion and fellowship which they haue with him in his sufferings and death as the members of him their head doe behaue themselues as those that are dead to their corruptions and finde no sauour in the courses of sinne and vanities of this world but spend all their liuelihood in denying vngodlinesse and worldly lusts and liuing vnto God And of this crucifying doth the Apostle speake in this place The second phrase or manner of speech is in these words I liue I liue not How can both these bee true I answer they may both be true in diuers respects I liue the life of grace and godlinesse I liue not the life of sinne and corrupted nature As if hee should say It is true indeed I haue the same naturall organs or instruments the same head tongue hands and feete but as there is great difference betweene a well-tuned Cymball and a loud Cymball so is there betweene all my parts when they doe receiue actiuitie from God and from nature As the gracious life is a death in respect of the glorious life which is the cause that that life which wee shall haue in glory is for excellencie sake called Life so the naturall life is no better than a death in respect of the life of grace The third phrase is in these words Christ liueth in me that is Christ is my life If you aske me how that can be I answer that it is by vertue of that communion and fellowship which we haue with him For as wee haue a naturall fellowship with him by his assuming and sanctifying our natures and becomming flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone and as we haue a sacramentall fellowship with him when in the Sacrament Christ is exhibited and giuen to the faithfull receiuer as he
is able to receiue it for the nourishment of his soule which communion doth in this differ from a bare spirituall communion Signis adhibitis vel non that all sacramentall communion is spirituall but all spirituall is not sacramentall because this is in the lawfull vse of Gods signes to this purpose So we haue a spirituall fellowship with Chirst when the spirit of God doth apply Christ vnto vs by faith and doth so bring home and concorporate him vnto vs that from the fountaine of his holinesse in whom all fulnesse dwelleth we finde our selues inclined and quickned to all holy obedience and can feelingly say That in that we forsake sinne it is from the power of Christ and in that wee purpose and endeuour good it is by the same power also And of this spirituall communion doth the Apostle speake in this place The fourth phrase is in these words I liue in the flesh He doth not say that he liued of the flesh or after the flesh as if he danced after natures pipe but In the flesh As all are not Israel that are in Israel so all are not of the flesh or after the flesh that are in the flesh What therefore is it to liue in the flesh It is to liue in the body for as flesh is taken for corrupted man when the Apostle saith That flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdome of heauen and for the corruption of man as when the holy Ghost saith The flesh lusteth against the spirit so is flesh taken for the body of man by an elegancy of speech when a member is taken for all the parts integrall or for the whole And thus it is taken in this place I liue in the body The fifth hard phrase is in these words I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God What doth he meane by this I liue by faith which doth its right office to spie out to run vnto and to receiue the Sonne of God For whereas vpon the former speech that Iesus liued in him it might be said Must not the heauens containe him Yes saith the Apostle for he liueth in me by faith not by sight But you will say why is it called the faith of the Sonne of God Not because wee should conceiue that faith which Iesus Christ had in himselfe but that faith in vs whereby he is had and possessed of vs and is so called for three reasons First because the Sonne of God hath purchased it for vs. The Father would not haue willed it vs the Holy Ghost would not haue wrought it in vs if Christ had not bought it for vs. Secondly because only the Son of God in Christ doth make our faith to be lawfull and laudable As Christ is man he is a creature and we must not flie to any creature for life and saluation and therefore not beleeue in him This then is it which makes our faith in him to be warrantable that hee is the onely Sonne of God Thirdly because it is not beleefe in any other person in the diuine nature that doth conueigh life vnto vs. As veines arteries sinewes muscles and the like doe not conueigh life sense and motion into the parts of a mans body but as they doe receiue them from their owne proper head and heart from whence they are shot so faith doth not conueigh spirituall life but as it doth receiue it from our spirituall head Christ Iesus Thus you may see our faith Relativè Obiectivè Instrumentalièr called the faith of Christ in respect of that relation which is betwixt him and it he being the sauing obiect of it and that being the instrument to conueigh life from him to euery beleeuer Thus we haue the seuerall phrases of the Text which in their totall sum make vp the Apostles meaning to be thus much Summe of the Text. Doe not thinke that by the doctrine of Iustâ—fication by faith alone in Christ I doe abolish the doctrine of Sanctification by the same Christ for by vertue of my vnion with Christ by faith I doe finde that from the fountaine of his holinesse out of whose fulnesse I doe receiue grace for grace my sinful lusts are crucified and I perceiue my selfe so quickned in the inner man translated from one glory to another into the Image of God that I dare say It is not I that now liue but my Sauiour who liueth in me by faith whereby hee purifieth my heart to make mee a peculiar Christian to himselfe chosen vnto good workes We hauing now stayed long enough vpon the sense may it please you from the seuerall deductions to desire further benefit And to this end in these words let vs consider two things First Paul his method which is this He was first killed and then he was made aliue Secondly Paul his matter in which he doth in his owne person set downe a double estate of ours First our estate in nature which is implied and may â—e thus expressed that vntill we haue faith we are but dead men For if wee liue only by faith in Christ then before we haue it we are but dead men Secondly our estate in grace which is expressed and may be set downe in three chiefe points of doctrine First that wee haue communion in the death of Christ Secondly that by vertue of this communion we liue by Faith Thirdly that it is from the vertue of Christ that we are quickned vnto all holy obedience To come first to Pauls method we are to obserue that as Paul saith He is crucified before he liueth So We must die before we can be made aliue I might here distinguish betwixt death naturall death ciuill as it is termed in Law death spirituall and death eternall that so I might signifie what death I meane but that it is plaine enough without that labour Only remember that it is one thing to die for sinne as malefactors who are put to death another thing to die in sinne as finally impenitent sinners and another thing to die vnto sinne as the godly In which sense we must die before we can be made aliue As it is with the bodie we must all die or all be changed 1 Cor. 15. before we must liue for euer which the holy Ghost maketh plaine by the similitude of Wheat or some other graine so is it with the soule Hence is it that God doth both exhort vnto this death Coloss 3.5 when he saith Mortifie your earthly members and also promiseth life vpon that death when hee saith Rom. 8.13 If yee mortifie the deeds of the bodie by the Spirit yee shall liue Neither may we wonder at this truth whether we consider the goodnesse of grace or the malice of sinne First if we respect the goodnesse of grace it is expressed by two effectuall words for this purpose For sometimes it is called a Resurrection Apoc. 20.6 Iohn 5.25 as Iohn saith Blessed are those that haue part in the first Resurrection And
risen with Christ Col. 3.1 Eph. 2.6 and wee sit with him in heauenly places His debased estate also is ours as his birth suffering vnder Pontius Pilate his crucifying his death his descension into hell For hence is it that we are said to be buried with Christ Rom. 6.4 5 6. and to be grafted with him into the similitude of his death yea and to haue the old man crucified with him as in this Text. If now you will inquire Why wee are said to haue fellowship in his death I answer For three causes especially First Because of that sacramentall vnion which wee haâ—e with Christ Rom. 6. Wee are baptized into the death of Christ We are buried with Christ in Baptisme Baptisme doth seale vnto vs and giue vs interest in that communion which we haue in his death For as the dipping in the primitiue Church so the sprinkling of the water now doth signifie and seale our death and buriall with Christ Secondly Because what Christ did as Mediator of the Church hee did it not as a priuate person but as the head of the Church and in the roome and stead of all his elect Hence is it that hee is called our sponsor or suretie Heb. 7.22 For as the debt which a suretie payeth hee payeth not onely for himselfe because hee hath willingly made himselfe a debtor but for the partie also for whom hee is bound so Christ payeth for vs. Thirdly Because when wee truly turne from all sinne vnto God as we do with all our hearts make a deed of gift to conueigh our selues vnto God that so in all distresse we may plead as Dauid Psal 119. I am thine saue mee for I doe put my trust in thee Esa 9.6 so God doth make a deed of gift of whole Christ to conueigh him vnto vs. As therefore we account to haue right to that which is giuen vs as freely and as fully as if wee had purchased it or had it by inheritance euen so wee ascertaine and assure our selues of Christ crucified with all his benefits Vse 1 This therefore being a truth that we haue fellowship in the sufferings of Iesus Christ is of excellent vse both to procure the hatred and the mortification of sinne For the first we should grow in eternall enmitie with it when we doe but thinke that the Lord of life was crucified for it but if we set our selues in Christs roome and feelingly apprehend his paine as ours when hee conflicting with his Fathers wrath cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee When his soule was heauie vnto death and he being rosted with the fire of Gods wrath did in a cold season sweat drops of blood if wee shall account his invâ—terable losse to be ours to wit that our sinnes made God to withdraw his louing countenance from vs good men to flie from vs our friends to deny vs our enemies to insult ouer vs the earth to quake the sunne to hide her light and the rockes to rent in sunder who will not now gnash his teeth at sinne and cry ouer it with a holy indignation as the Edomites ouer Ierusalem Downe with it downe with it euen to the ground Vse 2 As to the second to account our selues as crucified with Christ 1 Pet. 4.1 is an excellent meanes of mortification For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sinne and if wee are dead to sinne Rom. 6.2 how shall wee yet liue therein Wee know that when a felon is executed hee is not onely freed from the imputation of sinne because he hath satisfied the law but from the practise of sinne also The same minde must be in vs that wee may mortifie the deeds of the flesh by such spirituall reasons as these are What am I not crucified am I not dead doe I yet worke the workes of darknesse as if I liued in sinne what is it that should make me rake together the dead bones of sinne to put new life into them I know that it is death to heare of such a dying Ah it is too true that wee loue our sinnes too well to let them be crucified with Christ But shall I tell you what we may doe to helpe all I remember that it was a law in Israel Dâ—ut 21.11 12. that if a beautifull woman should be taken captiue in warre and any man should desire her as his wife hee must shaue her head pare her nailes put off the garment wherein hee loued her that is take away all her ornaments and if hee then liked her let him take her into his house Oh that we could be wise to deale thus with sinne It hath many ornaments sutable to our corrupt natures which doe beguile the seduced and deceiued eyes of our soules Some sinnes are clad with profit some with pleasure some with honour and other some with fauour but shaue off this alluring haire fling away these tempting garments and then yee shall see that it defaceth Gods image dishonoureth God grieueth and quencheth the spirit woundeth the conscience and presseth to hell Now tell me whether ye like sinne yea or no Oh that this might be a forcible inducement vnto vs to let our crucifying with Christ haue its diuine force It may be you will inquire for some plaine direction for the crucifying of sinne If you doe I shall soone say by Gods blessiâ—g much in a little See these things more largely in my Sermon on 2 Cor. 5.17 Marke the degrees of Christs crucifying for vs and wee must imitate it in our crucifying of sinne for Christ Christ was apprehended put in hold indited condemned and executed so must we deale with sinne Wee must apprehend it by a through examination put it in hold by godly sorrow indite it by a heartie confession condemne it by a seuere iudging of our selues and execute it by faith and a good conscience The longer we delay the stronger sinne is and the harder to kill Heare therefore that your soules may liue Let not the deuill seduce you with vaine hopes of long life or time enough to repent in Fishes will not be caught with a bloudy net why will yee Remember when one commended the Popes Legate at the Councell of Basil Tamen Romanus est Sigismond the Emperour answered Yet hee is a Romane So let the flesh commend Satan in all his sugred allurements neuer so much yet let the spirit answer Yet hee is a deuill Let vs neuer forget and God giue vs vnderstanding in all things that he is the roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure Hauing thus led you through the fellowship of Christ in his death wee are come to that pipe which by the force of this our communion doth conueigh life through this death and that is Faith Touching which wee arâ— to obserue from hence That by vertue of this our communion with Christ wee liue by Faith It is not our faith absolutely considered that is our
make shew of performing a Vow at Hebron Herod of worshipping Christ and of another Herod hearing Iohn gladly Prou. â— yea the Harlot her selfe hath made her peace offerings and payed her vowes and Christ doth so discouer the rich Gluttons wickednes that we may yet see the religion of his linage saying They haue Moses and the Prophets Lâ—ke 16. What wicked man doth not frame a religion to himselfe in appearance and shew to stop the mouth of his conscience and gloze with the world None shall bow lower than he none shall looke more sowre in the day of fasting and in all the kindes of superstition none shall more glister with deuotion in the view of men especially in the day of affliction and houre of death Thirdly in shew euen false religion may imitate the true Let God haue a Temple so hath the Deuill yea where God hath his Church the Deuill hath his Chapell and Synagogue Apoc. 2.12 as his Throne in Pergamus and Antichrist with his apostacie in the Temple of God 2 Thess 2.4 If God answer from betweene the Cherubims the Deuill will haue his oracles Let him haue his Priests the Deuil also will haue Arch-flamines and Flamines his Druids Sophists Sacrificers and the like The Deuill and his instruments haue still beene seene to be Gods apes to imitate him so farre as it hath been permitted vnto them in the great workes of his creation and prouidence Fourthly in shew false religion may not only imitate but outstrip the true If true religion haue golden Priests and woodden Chalices false religion will haue with woodden Priests golden Chalices Let true religion haue a sacrifice of beasts the false will haue a sacrifice of men If the true haue washings the false will haue abundance of washings and other ceremonies which shall goe vnder the name of the traditions of the Elders In which respect they who reade the exceptions of Atheists and Heathen against the true religion shall â—â—nde this to be one that it was farre behinde the heathenish religion in the beauty of their Temples array of their Priests gestures and significant representations in their deuotions Thus let vs carry with vs these foure meditations and conclude from them thus much that seeing the religion of hypocrites and wicked men may equall and false religion may imitate and outstrip the true religion in shewes therefore we must iudge righteous iudgement wee must not chuse religion according to appearance and shewes but striue to be of that which doth most approue it selfe to God What vse shall we make of this point now but this to learne to cleaue to that religion which we shall finde to be more in heart than in shew I know that we must not neglect such shewes as God hath appointed as praying preaching hearing reading bowing the knees lifting vp the hands and eyes together with a decent course and cariage in Gods whole seruice Of these we say as Christ to the Pharisies These ought yee to haue done Matth. 23.23 yet the sincere seruice and glory of the heart ought not to be left vndone the principall end of a good religion being to approue the heart vnto God Gods seruice doth chiefly consist in the holy exercise and vsage of the vnderstanding and affections of the heart according to Gods will What hypocrite cannot draw neere to God with the lips What carnall wretch cannot make a crucifix or other image to be a mouer of fleshly deuotion Objectum motivam vehiculum devotionis and as it were a popish chariot of desires to the persons whom they doe represent What Idiot whose vnderstanding is idle cannot giue God a knee and a knocke vpon the breast at the Popish Latine seruice and Masse of humane inuentions Alas for them whose religion is in shewes If the shew and outside of religion were ordained by God yâ—â— as it might sometimes be omitted without sinne as Circumcision and the Passeouer yea and the feast of Tabernacles for a thousand yeeres together Neh. 8.17 if my Chronologer deceiue me not euen so also may it be practised of vs without grace Oh therefore beleeue not neither trust in shewes but cleaue vnto that religion whose grace and glory doth stand in inward worship which cannot be omitted without sinne nor practised without grace We draw neere to God with our hearts we heare the word with faith feare loue and full assurance we pray in the Holy Ghost yea though wee vse the helpe of others yet we make such prayers our owne by a thorow applying them to our wants and graces when we sing Psalmes we make melodie to God in our hearts and when we doe receiue the Lords Supper we doe it in remembrance of Christ and shew forth his death till he come yea like true worshippers we are so farre from delighting in shewes that as God said of old They shall say no more The Arke of the couenant of the Lord Ier. 3.16 for it shall come no more to minde neither shall they remember it neither shall they visit it so doe we willingly forget all the typicall rites and ceremonies wherewith the Church of Rome did Iewishly and heathenishly abuse our forefathers and doe striue to build vp the hid man of the heart and to worship God in spirit and truth Ioh. 4. not neglecting such outward expressments as are warranted either by generall or particular rules and examples out of the holy word But as for garish shewes let children and babies delight in such rattles We account our selues to haue iust cause to suspect the religion of Rome which is all for shewes They know right well that euery man would be accounted godly and that the wickedest wretch and wisest politician of the world would faine goe to heauen To this end therefore as it may seeme namely to please the wise men of the world and desperate sinners who know by nature that they must frame a kinde of religion to procure Gods fauour they haue patched together as the secure times of the world and their preuailing faction would giue them leaue an outward seruice glorious in shew to stop the mouth of conscience for a time Their faith is resolued into a glorious and pompous Church for shew Their repentance stands only in contrition confession and satisfaction by visible penances which being performed in shew receiueth an absolute forgiuenesse of sinne They boast of their altars sacrifices washings and anointings they adorne their altars images priests and temples They haue their Iubilees processions pilgrimages to their ridiculous Ladies vigils trentals diriges and requiems and all for shew still They haue musicke and chaunting for the eare without the exercise either of vnderstanding or heart They haue golden and veluet silken and taffatie Images for the eye They haue Incense or other sweet perfumes for the nose They haue iuncates and banquets on their falsly called fasting daies for their pallates though they will not ordinarily eat